Man dressed as Elmo receives fewest votes

Iain Lynn

A man dressed as a Sesame Street character and a candidate seeking to curb "mind control" for political purposes were among those to receive the fewest votes at the polling booth.

To make the ballot paper candidates must receive 10 nominations from constituents and pay £500, a deposit which is not returned if they fail to reach 5% of the vote.

Here are the candidates who received the fewest votes.

:: Bobby Smith (Independent) - Three votes.

Smith, dressed as Sesame Street character Elmo, stood against Theresa May. He brought in what is thought to be the second lowest amount of votes ever.

It marked a significant slide from his performance in the 2015 general election, when the fathers' rights activist stood against David Cameron in Witney, pulling in 37 votes.

Catherine Taylor-Dawson from the Vote For Yourself Rainbow Dream Ticket party still holds the title for the fewest votes when she received two in the Cardiff North constituency in 2005.

:: Andres Mendoza (Communist League) - Seven votes

Mendoza stood against Jeremy Corbyn in Islington North, bringing in fewer votes than the number of nominations required to stand.

:: Yemi Hailemariam (Independent) - 16 votes

Hailemariam stood in Maidenhead in the hope of securing a meeting with Mrs May to discuss the imprisonment of her husband, human rights activist Andy Tsege, in Ethiopia.

She wore a T-shirt bearing the slogan Free Andy Tsege for the count.

:: Bill Martin (Socialist Party of Great Britain) - 21 votes

Mr Martin also stood against Mr Corbyn, meaning the four candidates with the fewest votes stood against the two main party leaders.

:: Peter Clifford (Communist League) - 27 votes

Mr Clifford struggled in the Manchester Gorton constituency following an unsuccessful bid to become mayor. The butcher campaigned on issues such as combating anti-Semitism and improving health care.

:: Dale Kalamazad (Independent) - 29 votes

Independent parliamentary candidate for Hackney South & Shoreditch Dale Kalamazad failed to win back his deposit. Labour's Meg Hillier took the seat with 43,974 votes.

:: Rodney Maile (The New Society of Worth) - 31 votes

The candidate for the New Society of Worth stood in Preseli, Pembrokeshire. The party's policies included a system of email referendums, curbing "mind control" for political purposes and wages for women bringing up children.

:: Daniel Lambert (Socialist Party of Great Britain) - 32 votes

Daniel Lambert represented the Socialist Party of Great Britain in the constituency of Battersea on Thursday. He told the BBC in May that the party is the "most democratic organisation you will find in the world", and as such, has no leader.

:: Gavan Reynolds (Independent) - 37 votes

Gavan Reynolds stood as an independent in Down North. The seat was taken by another independent, ex-Ulster Unionist Sylvia Hermon.

Mark Shuker, an engineer from Worcester, is a former Liberal Democrat who ran for newly formed party Compass on Thursday. He stood in the 2015 election gaining almost double what he managed this time with 69 votes.

He is tied with Joe Westridge, who stood for the Social Democratic Party in Sheffield Central.